1. FOR HIM [GILAD]
2. DIRECTION: UNITY
Senior political sources: Prime Minister talked last week with Opposition Chairwoman Livni and MK Tzachi Hanegbi on inclusion of Kadima in Government. Senior Likud ministers: Netanyahu understands that he has no choice
3. FLOTILLA EFFECT: ISRAEL EASES GAZA BLOCKADE
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. Leader of ultra-orthodox protest: Deputy Education Minister.
DEPUTY MINISTER VS. GOVERNMENT
YISRAEL HAYOM
1. Surprising turn of events in ultra-orthodox school affair.
RABBINICAL COURT IN WAKE OF SUPREME COURT: ENOUGH ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION
2. CABINET DECIDES TO EASE GAZA BLOCKADE
Entrance of commercial goods and building materials approved. European observers to be stationed at checkpoints. US welcomes. PM: We will prevent entry of arms.
WALLA!
1. NETANYAHU: END TO ACCUSATIONS OF HARMING GAZA CIVILIANS
Prime Minister tries to explain decision to ease Gaza blockade and says that decision will not allow Hamas to claim that Israel is harming Gaza civilians.
2. LEBANON PERMITS SHIP TO SAIL TOWARDS GAZA
Lebanese authorities approved ship "Julia's" departure from Tripoli towards Cyprus, from which it will set off to Gaza Strip.
3. AMERICAN PROTESTERS PREVENT UNLOADING OF ISRAELI SHIP
About 500 demonstrators gathered in Oakland California port, in order to prevent unloading of Zim ship's cargo in protest against Gaza flotilla incident.
NANA10
1. PRIME MINISTER: EASING OF CIVILIAN BLOCKADE ON GAZA WILL PERMIT TIGHTENING OF SECURITY BLOCKADE
He said that friendly support of Israel's ending of civilian blockade would legitimize tightening oversight of Hamas. "Now the world will focus on Hamas's hostile actions and not food items that Israel allows into Gaza," Netanyahu clarified.
2. "ISRAEL TO EGYPT: LOCATE NAZI OFFICERS – DEAD OR ALIVE"
According to newspaper Al-Jerida, Israeli Ambassador in Egypt asked authorities to extradite three Nazi officers that Israel claims are on their soil
[Headlines for Walla! and Nana10 are from their websites as of 11:00. The print edition of Ha'aretz was unavailable today.]
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SUMMARY OF OP-EDS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Ma'ariv complains that Israel has thrown away its last major card in the negotiations over Gilad Shalit and calls on bereaved parents to voice their outrage.
Yisrael Hayom says that the closure on the Gaza Strip, "is returning to its original dimensions: Preventing the entry of weapons and war materiel, but without Israeli involvement in the movement of food and other civilian products," and reminds its readers that, "In practice, there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza." The author calls on the Government to respect American interests, as well as those of Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen and Egyptian President, neither of whom, the author adds, wish to see the strengthening of the Hamas regime, "which listens to orders from Tehran." The paper ventures that, "extremist elements in Iran and among the Palestinians," are averse to the foregoing and are, therefore, "pushing for the immediate departure of another flotilla in the hope of causing a violent clash with the Israelis." However, the author avers that the Americans and Europeans are well aware of the, "Iranian and Turkish interest in preventing understandings, and in confrontation," and are applying diplomatic pressure to delay the departure of any such flotilla. The paper concludes that Israel has helped cover itself should it prove necessary to intercept any such flotilla.
Yediot Aharonot believes that too many Israelis are unaware of the danger assimilation poses to Diaspora Jewish communities. The author says that the Jewish Agency, of which he is the Chairman, will invest not only in promoting immigration to Israel, but in "significantly expanding its involvement in strengthening Jewish young people's links to Israel and the Jewish People."
The Jerusalem Post is hopeful that the Lebanese government will not permit the sailing of the Hizbollah-backed ship 'Mariam', which hopes to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza with the aid of its female passengers, and states that "Though it has the trappings of a feminist endeavor, this new flotilla could not be farther removed from the egalitarian ideals of feminism."
Haaretz editorial was not available today.
[Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, Miki Goldwasser and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Yediot Ahronot, Ma'ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
